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County and residents plan for the future of transportation
(by Cindy Forrest - November 12, 2008)
Although gas prices are coming down - almost as quickly as they soared up earlier this year - many Morris County residents looking at the future, envision the growth of public transportation, not major roadways, for the suburbs.
The place was the Frelinghuysen Arboretum, where approximately 50 residents of Morris County gathered at a workshop to answer this question: the year is 2035, what does northern New Jersey look like? The Morris event, and a series of other workshops like it in surrounding counties, was initiated by the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) to get public input as to their vision of the future.
“The challenges looking out to 2035 are many," said NJTPA Chairman Susan M. Zellman. “We need to find ways to address traffic congestion, maintain our aging infrastructure, expand transit and handle growth in freight movement, all while making travel safer. In this time of high-energy prices and economic uncertainty, planning for the future is more important than ever. By telling us what they think, residents of the region can help steer billions of dollars in transportation investments over the next 25 years."
At the Morris event members of the public along with elected officials from towns throughout the area discussed the county’s goals in terms of transportation, development, open space preservation and economic growth. Workshop participants were asked to consider the “big picture” facing Morris County and the region over the next couple of decades and express their thoughts on smart growth, walk-able communities, bus service, road maintenance and repair, transportation funding and more.
Morris County Freeholder Deputy Director Gene F. Feyl, who represents Morris County on the NJTPA Board of Trustees and serves on the NJTPA Executive Committee, welcomed the attendees and urged them to think about their long-term vision for their communities and the county.
“A sensible and sustainable vision that links these decisions is critical to the future quality-of-life in Morris County and the rest of northern New Jersey,” he said.
Feyl stressed that development decisions made at the local level have impacts on the entire transportation system and instructed participants to “take a hard look at your priorities.”
With an annual budget of $2 billion, the NJTPA coordinates transportation projects in 13 New Jersey counties in the northern part of the state. The organization is currently preparing an update of its long-range transportation plan, the 2035 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP). As required by federal law, the NJTPA is required to update the plan every four years to ensure it continues to reflect the changing transportation challenges and conditions of the region.
The transportation system of northern and central New Jersey is one of the nation’s most extensive and heavily used. Annually, it sees more than 145 million miles of vehicular travel, more than 250 million transit trips and more than 550 tons of freight movement. With projected growth in population and employment, travel demand in the region will only continue to grow.
When a plan is officially adopted in mid-2009, the NJTPA will have outlined a vision for northern New Jersey with a guide for regional transportation investment decisions including specific projects, strategies and policies.
“Our county and region face many significant decisions related to transportation investment in the years ahead,” Zellman said. “We are asking the public to think critically about the relationship between transportation and land use. The decisions we make today will determine the future of our communities, our county and the larger region.”
One of the questions asked at the workshop was whether funds should be spent improving existing roads or creating new modes of transportation. Accessing an NJTPA computer program, attendees were able to plug in their preferences for future land use and transportation changes and how the two elements are connected, according to David Behrend, an NJTPA spokesman.
Attendees expressed their support for maintaining the existing transportation network while preserving open space, said Behrend. And while there was an interest in transit-oriented development, many residents were hesitant to expand major roads, citing concerns that it would lead to sprawl or increased population growth and traffic.
“There's a real hunger for more transit of all kinds," said Behrend. “People definitely want options other than the automobile.”
The NJTPA will consider all the comments gathered during its outreach process in developing the plan, scheduled for finalization in mid-2009. Interested residents can still tell the NJTPA what they think about the region’s future by visiting www.njtpa.org. Click on the Plan 2035 logo to take an online survey on transportation, join an e-mail list, and leave comments on the Plan 2035 message board and more. Comments also can be left via voice mail at 800-641-6079.
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